Wednesday 13 March 2013

'Haunted' Portraits

My latest novella, The Second Wife, features a haunted portrait of the first Mrs Marchant - Emily. It frightens the life out of Chrissie, her successor.

When researching some material for guest promotional blogs, I came across a quite extraordinary idea.



Courtesy of http://www.hauntedportraits.com/
Courtesy of http://www.hauntedportraits.com/
It seems you can now buy portraits that metamorphose from perfectly normal attractive photographs or paintings, into something grotesque, skeletal, ghostland/or demonic, right before your eyes..


 They are marketed as being perfect for Halloween - or any time of the year if you live in a haunted house. Apparently there are no mechanical or electrical bits to worry about. You just hang them and then watch what happens...

It's certainly a novel way to redecorate - and maybe a radical gift idea for that horror loving friend who has everything.

I can (kind of) see them on the wall of an old, creaking house but am not at all sure about the concept when applied to a modern three bedroomed semi in leafy suburbia.


Mind you, if you want to be the star of the show, you can always order a customised ghost portrait - featuring yourself:


Courtesy of http://www.hauntedportraits.com/
If that's not daring enough for you, remember the portraits that used to move around in the Harry Potter books and films? Always thought it would be fun to own one?

Try these: